A handrail mechanism for a variable speed moving sidewalk

Abstract: A handrail mechanism for a speed variable moving sidewalk including with the total length of the moving sidewalk being divided into plural portions, a multiple-number of independent moving handrail portions for allowing passengers to hold thereon, being arranged for the respective portions of the sidewalk while all of the moving handrail portions are arranged without overlapping with one another.

Description: (1) Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a handrail mechanism for a moving sidewalk in which endlessly disposed treadboards are successively transported circularly while being transversely slid within a plane so that moving speeds of the treadboards may accelerate or retard. (2) Description of the Related Art In the conventional technology of speed variable moving sidewalk systems, as shown for example in Japanese patent provisional publication number 47-3368, corresponding to Swiss application No. 10911/70 or in Japanese patent provisional publication number 47-669, corresponding to US Patent No. 3,695,183, provision of a continuous moving handrail has not yet be developed in practice since it is difficult to vary the moving speed of the moving handrail in correspondence with the moving speed of the treadboard which changes widely ranging from a low-speed region to a high-speed region (about two to five times). Therefore, a typical moving handrail is divided into some or several parts, so that each part of the moving handrail is driven in a different speed approximately equal to respective part of treadboards flowing. In the conventional moving handrail of divided type, overlapping portions are created to form jointing portions between handrail portions. As to this moving handrail, since there are overlapping regions as jointing portions between adjacent handrail portions as stated above, the ends of the handrail portions may disturb the proceeding of passengers in some cases, depending on the proceeding direction of the passenger, thereby jeopardizing the passenger. Further, deviation of the proceeding direction of the passenger from the moving direction of the handrail makes the passengers feel uneasy. Furthermore US Patent No. 4,232,776 discloses a walkway of the acceleration/deceleration type according to the preamble of claim 1. The handrail mechanism does not include guiding plates comprising comb-like grooves. Therefore the passengers have to release their grip on the handrail if they move from one section of the walkway to an other section of the walkway. OBJECT AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is to eliminate the aforementioned defects and drawbacks in the conventional system by constructing a new system as follows. An object of the present invention is to provide a handrail mechanism for a speed variable moving sidewalk in which overlaps in jointing portions are left out so as to avert potential dangers and which presents a more conformable riding to the passengers by arranging moving handrails in such a manner that the advancing directions of the moving handrails correspond to the advancing direction of the passenger's body. A second aspect of the present invention is to achieve the above object, and relates to the following features as to a handrail mechanism for a speed variable moving sidewalk wherein a large number of the treadboards are circularly moved along endless rails composed of vertical portions, and upper and lower portions each being made up of combination of a substantially straight portion and curved portions on a horizontal plane, and are transversely slid relative to one another in upper and lower portion for acceleration or retardation thereof. (1) The total length of a moving sidewalk is divided into plural portions, and the handrail mechanism for the speed variable moving sidewalk includes: a plurality of independently moving handrails (101, 102, 103), said handrails (101, 102, 103) are arranged without overlapping with one another; wherein a guiding plate (104) is disposed at jointing portions between adjoining moving handrails (101, 102, 103) to thereby guide passengers' hands from one moving handrail (101, 102, 103 ) to the next moving handrail (101, 102, 103) and said moving handrails (101, 102, 103) are provided on the surface thereof with comb-like grooves so as to smoothly mate with the corresponding projections on said guiding plate (104). In preferred embodiments the invention comprises the following features: (2) In the handrail mechanism for a speed variable moving sidewalk according to the above (1), the guiding plate has freely rolling balls or rollers arranged thereon. (3) In the handrail mechanism for a speed variable moving sidewalk according to the above (1), in order to inform passengers of the existence of a guiding plate, an electric indicator such as a winker etc., a sound/voice indicator and/or air-blowing device is provided solely or in combination on the upper face of or in the vicinty of the guiding plate. Since each moving handrail portion is driven independently of the others at a speed close to the moving speed of nearby treadboards, the passengers can move on the sidewalk while holding the moving handrail. Further, an end of the moving handrail portion on the passenger side at the conventional overlapping portion would be obstructing to the passenger. This problem attributable to the overlapping portion, however, does not occur because, in the configuration of the present invention, no overlapping portion exists between neighboring moving handrail portions. Therefore, the passenger's body and his or her hand are to move in the same direction at all time. Moreover the guiding plates provided at jointing portions make it possible to transfer the passenger's hand from one moving handrail portion to the next moving handrail portion in safety. Since the surface of each handrail portion is provided with comb-like grooves which mate with the guiding plate, this configuration prevents the passenger's hand from being accidentally nipped by the clearance between the handrail and the guiding plate and makes it possible for the passenger to transfer his or her hand from one moving rail portion to the guiding plate in safety. Since balls or rollers are provided on the upper face of guiding plates, the passenger's hand can move smoothly on the guiding plates. Since an electric indicator such as a winker etc., a sound/voice indicator and/or an air-blowing device is provided for informing passengers of the existence of a guiding plate, it is possible for the passenger to transfer his or her hand from one moving rail portion to the guiding plate in safety. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Fig. 1 is a partial plan view showing a handrail system for a speed variable moving sidewalk in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 2 is a sectional view showing a typical part of the moving sidewalk in the same embodiment; Fig. 3 is a side view showing a detail of a joint portion of the handrail shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a plan view of the same joint portion, viewed from the top; Fig. 5 is an enlarged view showing a portion indicated by Z in Fig. 4; Fig. 6 is a perspective view showing the top face of a guiding plate in the same embodiment; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will hereinafter be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Fig. 1 is a plan view showing a handrail system for a speed variable moving sidewalk in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. Here, the figure shows only a half of the whole system since the system has a point-symmetric structure. Fig.2 is a sectional view showing a typical part of the same sidewalk. In the figures, moving handrail portions 101, 102 and 103, independently serve for the low-speed range, the accelerating range and the high-speed range, respectively, and run circularly at speeds close to the speeds of treadboards in respective regions. Guiding plates 104 are provided at the joints between the moving handrail portions 102 and 103. Each guiding plate 104 is fixed or integrated on the wainscot panel (the inside panel). Fig. 3 is a side view showing a detail of a joint portion between the handrail portions shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a plan view of the same joint portion, viewed from the top (from Y-direction in Fig. 3). Fig. 5 is an enlarged view of a portion indicated by Z in Fig. 4. As shown in Figs. 4 and 5, each of the moving handrail portions 101,102 and 103 has a comb-like pattern on the surface thereof similar to that provided on treadboards and mates with the guiding plate 104 in the joint portion between the moving handrail portions shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a perspective view showing the top face of the guiding plate. As illustrated, the guiding plate 104 has claws at the ends thereof which mate with the moving handrail portion 101,102 or 103. The surface of the guiding plate must be well polished for eased sliding, but in order to assure further smoothness, balls 107 or rollers may be provided on the surface of the guiding plate as illustrated in Fig. 6, whereby the passenger's hand can transfer further smoothly to the next handrail portions 102 or 103 even when his or her hand is propped on the guiding plate. Additionally, an air blow hole 108 is provided as illustrated in the guiding plate 104 or in the vicinity thereof so as to blow air against the passenger's hand approaching in order to attract his or her attention. Alternatively, an electric indicator or sound or voice announce etc., may be used solely or in combination so that it is possible to give a further sense of security to the passenger. As has been detailed heretofore, by the arrangement of the handrails and the guiding plates provided therebetween, the safety for passengers can be improved in the following aspects as compared to the prior art mechanism in which handrail portions are overlapped with each other at their joint portions. (1) Since the passenger and his or her hand move in the same direction, he or she does not get any uneasy feeling and his or her body does not come into contact with the ends of the moving handrail portions. Therefore, the passengers can travel with a sense of security. (2) The passenger's attention is called at the joint portion, but even if he or she fails to notice it, it is possible for the guiding plate to help the passenger's hand transfer to the next moving handrails after leaving one moving handrail portion.

Claims: A handrail mechanism for a speed variable moving sidewalk with a large number of treadboards (1) being circularly moved along endless rails composed of vertical portions, and upper and lower portions each being made up of a combination of a linear portion and curved portion within a horizontal plane and being transversely slideable relative to one another in the upper and lower portions for accelerating or retardation thereof, which handrail mechanism comprises a plurality of independently moving handrails (101, 102, 103), said moving handrails (101, 102, 103) being arranged without overlapping with one another and wherein a guiding plate (104) is disposed at jointing portions between adjoining moving handrails (101, 102, 103) to thereby guide passengers' hands from one moving handrail (101, 102, 103) to the next moving handrail (101, 102, 103); characterised in that said moving handrails (101, 102, 103) are provided on a surface thereof with comb-like grooves so as to smoothly mate with the corresponding projections on said guiding plate (104). A handrail mechanism for a speed variable moving sidewalk according to Claim 1 wherein said guiding plate (104) has freely rolling balls (107) or rollers arranged thereon. A handrail mechanism for a speed variable moving sidewalk according to Claim 1 wherein, in order to inform passengers of existence of a guiding plate (104), at least one of an electric indicator, a sound/voice indicator, and an air-blowing device (108) is provided on an upper face of or in the vicinity of said guiding plate (104).

Inventors: FUSHIYA TOSHIRO C O MIHARA MAC, NAGAI KIYOTAKA C O MIHARA MACH, SAEKI HIROSHI C O MIHARA MACHI, TOMOSHIGE MITSUKAZU C O MIHARA, YASUKAWA MASAO C O MIHARA MACH, FUSHIYA, TOSHIRO, C/O MIHARA MACHINERY WORKS, NAGAI, KIYOTAKA, C/O MIHARA MACHINERY WORKS, SAEKI, HIROSHI,C/O MIHARA MACHINERY WORKS, TOMOSHIGE, MITSUKAZU, C/O MIHARA MACHINERY WORKS, YASUKAWA, MASAO,C/O MIHARA MACHINERY WORKS
Applicants: MITSUBISHI HEAVY IND LTD, MITSUBISHI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Application year: 1994
Main classification: B66B23
IPC codes: B66B23